The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management is the National Coordinating State to coordinate the deployment of member state and territories’ resources, as needed, to Hawaii through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR (News release) - The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management is the National Coordinating State to coordinate the deployment of member state and territories’ resources, as needed, to Hawaii through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). This has enabled Hawaii State Civil Defense, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, to request resources quickly as Hurricanes Iselle and Julio impact the islands.

Arkansas became the National Coordinating State (NCS) for the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) – the national state-to-state mutual aid system – on March 10, 2014. This means the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) is now responsible for monitoring nationwide events and the EMAC Operations System to ensure resource requests are being filled in a timely fashion, EMAC procedures and protocols are being followed and that all questions and issues are resolved.

EMAC offers assistance during governor-declared states of emergency or disaster through a responsive, straightforward system that allows states to send personnel, equipment, and commodities to help disaster relief efforts in other states. Since ratification and signing into law in 1996 (Public Law 104-321), 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have enacted legislation to become EMAC members. Arkansas became a member state in 1997. More information about this program is available at http://www.emacweb.org/.

David Maxwell, ADEM Director, currently serves as EMAC Chair for the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) and ADEM’s Operation Manager Carol Walton is the Executive Task Force (ETF) Chair for EMAC. The NCS is designated based on the home state of the ETF Chair. This person is charged with leading response and deployment efforts while day-to-day administration of EMAC is done by NEMA.

Hurricane Iselle was expected to arrive on the Big Island on Thursday evening, bringing heavy rains, winds gusting up to 85 mph and flooding in some areas. Hurricane Julio, meanwhile, has swirled closely behind with maximum winds whipping at 105 mph.

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